More often than not, MMA fans see the writing on the wall, but they seldom appreciate the people behind the story.

After seven years in the MMA business – less than two of which were under new ownership – another big promotion folds on Saturday with “Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine.” There is now one less place for fighters to ply their trade in a market in which the gap between big show and regional player is getting wider and wider.

Popular as it was in the latter half of this past year to predict – and in some cases root for – Strikeforce’s demise, the promotion was home to many fighters. It was also an alternative to many industry veterans who have seen competition diminished in recent years.

Strikeforce parent company Zuffa will find homes for fighters it likes, as well as the ones who perform well on Saturday night. The stars that weren’t plucked away when Zuffa acquired Strikeforce in March 2011 will continue to entertain fans. Some of them will become even bigger stars in the UFC. More likely than not, however, dozens will be put out of work at the end of the event, which takes place at Chesapeake Energy Center in Oklahoma City.

Promotions aren’t in the charity business, of course, and Strikeforce’s previous and current owners bear ultimate responsibility for its fate. Only the best fighters will stay at the top levels of the sport, and that’s the way it should be. But the business needs places where talent can develop, and it needs promotions to compete with each other. When there is less of either, the sport’s long-term future grows a little bleaker.

Already, Bellator MMA has taken the mantle of the No. 2 promotion to the UFC, and other competitors will emerge with dreams to supplant the industry leader. This business encourages big dreams, and it expects big failures. But for now, another piece of MMA fight history now heads to the museum of our memories.

Saturday originally was scheduled as a one-night blowout with three championship fights, including titleholders Luke Rockhold, Gilbert Melendez and Nate Marquardt, before injuries scratched the first two and the event’s name was changed from “Strikeforce: Champions” to its current moniker.

Showtime, which in 2009 propelled Strikeforce to a new level of visibility by partnering with the promotion, broadcasts the event’s main card while Showtime Extreme hosts the preliminary card.

Marquardt, a onetime UFC middleweight title challenger, makes his second appearance as a Strikeforce fighter and welterweight. The veteran made his long-awaited 170-pound debut in July, when he met the undefeated Tyron Woodley. After getting all he could handle from the standout wrestler early in the fight, Marquardt charged ahead and ended the fight by fourth-round TKO, which earned him a title vacated by Nick Diaz.

A well-balanced fighter, Marquardt (32-10-2 MMA, 1-0 SF) gets a different stylistic challenge this time out when he meets Tarec Saffiedine (13-3 MMA, 5-1 SF), whose crisp standup skills (and availability) have won him a second run at the title. The Belgian most recently appeared in August, when he outpointed Roger Bowling to earn his third consecutive win. Although a talented striker, a finish has eluded him in his past five fights.

A dearth of available heavyweights made it possible, but on paper, the bout’s credibility is questionable. Despite having three times the experience of Cormier, Staring, who currently trains with UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem, fought just once this past year. In his only significant career fight, he lost to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by third-round submission.

Cormier, predictably, is a massive favorite going into the bout. His Olympic wrestling pedigree and displays of striking prowess, coupled with a career-high win over Josh Barnett in his most recent performance, make a win almost a forgone conclusion. At the same time, however, Staring is a wild card. One lucky punch, and he could pull off the upset of the very new year.

In the second head-scratcher of the evening, heavyweight Barnett (31-6 MMA, 2-1 SF) returns for the first time since his slugfest with Cormier, which garnered high praise for his relentless attack. The former UFC champ and veteran of PRIDE, World Victory Road/Sengoku and Affliction faces off with promotional newcomer Nandor Guelmino (11-3-1 MMA, 0-0 SF), whose current win streak numbers seven.

The two fighters are in completely different leagues in the level of competition they’ve faced, with Barnett fighting a who’s who of heavyweight talent and Guelmino fighting (and losing to) Semmy Schilt. Although the betting lines might have moved due to news that Barnett is battling the flu going into the fight, only a lucky punch could see him upset.

A fight nearly three years in the making, light heavyweights Gegard Mousasi (32-3-2 MMA, 3-1-1 SF) and Mike Kyle (19-8-1 MMA, 2-3-1 SF) have been scheduled to fight several times, but injuries and scheduling difficulties have intruded.

Mousasi, a former champ, said he is UFC bound and needs to start off on the right foot against Kyle. Problematically, the ground beneath him is not as stable since he’s been on the bench for a year recovering from a torn ACL. That leaves Kyle, an aggressive fighter, the opening to pull off the upset. But he has to catch Mousasi early since they’re in a completely different league in the striking realm they favor. Mousasi is a K-1 level kickboxer, and Kyle turns virtually every fight into a brawl. Because Mousasi’s ground game lags behind his standup, expect Kyle to try to get the fight to the mat.

Assuming he doesn’t slip on a banana peel, middleweight Ed Herman (20-8 MMA, 0-0 SF) will be the first and only active UFC fighter to cross from the UFC to Strikeforce, and in his one-off, he gets a big opportunity in ex-champ Ronado “Jacare” Souza (16-3 MMA, 6-1 SF).

Herman needs redemption since he’s coming off a decision loss to Jake Shields, which was later changed to a no-contest when Shields tested positive for an undisclosed banned substance. Souza is the perfect foil, though he represents a stiff challenge with world-class grappling and a evolved striking game. In a grappling match, Herman will have a tough time competing with the Brazilian. But keep the fight on its feet, and these two should put on an entertaining scrap.